A small number of misguided students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have been widely condemned by people from all walks of life because they put up posters advocating "Hong Kong independence" on CUHK campus on the first day back at school. One student from the mainland was so upset about the illegal cause of those "pro-independence" students that she tore some of their posters down from a billboard to express her disgust, insisting they don't represent her. It came as no surprise that some "fans" of separatism took this opportunity to vent their frustration at the mainland by threatening her on social media, albeit anonymously, because they know theirs is an illegal and hopeless cause.

She has good reason to fear for her safety and maybe even her life, considering the vicious language some of her online stalkers used to intimidate her in the past few days. We would like to assure her that she is not alone in opposing such wrong pursuits, as evidenced by some of her fellow students and alumni gathering on the CUHK campus on Thursday afternoon in protest against separatist attempts to turn local universities into their recruiting grounds. We understand that many university students in the SAR, local and mainland alike, do not agree with the infiltration of Hong Kong separatism into the campus, but they are afraid to come forward for fear of being bullied. But now it is time for them to rise up against this illegal movement for the sake of themselves and the institutions. They should know that there is a strong voice of support in society as numerous Hong Kong residents have voiced resentment toward separatism and demanded the CUHK and other universities with similar problems ban "pro-independence" propaganda on their campuses.

It is no secret that there is a separatist faction in the opposition that has been wielding considerable influence over their camp in recent years. That faction maintains close contact with other separatist forces bent on breaking the Chinese nation up into smaller ones. They also receive secret help from certain foreign governments because a weak China is always better than a strong one to them.

But, however fantastic the separatists' dreams may be, they are well aware of the truth that none of them will ever come true. All they can do is cry about it. Remember the two separatist lawmakers-elect who have been disqualified by the High Court after they were carried away with their doomed cause and tested the Basic Law and relevant Hong Kong law. It is the universities' responsibility to educate their students about Hong Kong's constitutional status and why seeking "independence" is a waste of everything. One has everything to lose and nothing to gain from pursuing separatism, because it is illegal and doomed to fail.

(HK Edition 09/08/2017 page12)